Summer is our (and we like to think the majority of the world’s!) favorite season of all, with endless amounts of fun and relaxation to be had in both the outdoors and the comfort of one’s own home. However, Summer does come with an increase in crime and burglaries, with the United States Department of Justice estimating that home larceny and burglary always come to a head during late June, July, August, and early September! Here’s a guide from the home security and lock installation experts here at UTS Group on some essential Summer safety and security tips to keep you and your family safe, and provide you peace of mind, during these long, hot, fun months of Summer!
Garage Security
Make sure to keep your garage secured all Summer, as garages is a hotbed for burglar attention. Burglars love to make away with items commonly house in garages like bikes, tools, and lawn equipment – as they are all items they can easily pawn for cash. Additionally, many garages offer direct access into the interior of their connected homes. This Summer, make sure your garage is ALWAYS locked whenever you’re not using it.
Car Windows
Make sure to keep your car’s windows rolled up, even when parked without the keys – and this isn’t just so as not to let the cool air conditioned air out of the car! You want to understand that the garage door opener that’s housed inside your vehicle essentially acts as a key inside your home!!
Home Security Systems
You absolutely need a high quality home security system that actively protects your home by monitoring you of a break-in, fire, or carbon-monoxide leak through a loud alarm (as well as automatically contacting the authorities,) as well as passively through acting as a deterrent for potential burglars. Your security system should entail motion detectors on all entranceways including windows and doors – but you should also consider installing exterior cameras and glass break sensors.
Reinforcing Air Conditioners when You’re Away
If you’ll be away from your home for an extended period of time, make sure to place a dowel to hold the air conditioning unit in place so that a burglar can’t remove it to access your home – or consider removing the unit from the window completely, until you arrive back at your home.
Don’t Leave Valuables Outside or in Plain Sight
Don’t display expensive electronic equipment or tools in windows where they can be glimpsed by burglars on the high street, and make sure not to leave them outside either. Even something as simple as a bicycle needs to be locked up when not in use – unfortunately, this is due to the prevalence of crime today in 2019, a much more dangerous time than the bucolic era of the 1950s when bicycles were left simply to chill out on the lawn.
Trimming Shrubbery
Bushes and shrubs may flourish during the warm months of Summer, but make sure to trim bushes or shrubs near your windows on a semi-regular basis to make sure that they don’t grow so high as to provide potential burglars cover to hide within when attempting a break-in.
